Though SHOOT has been identifying, new, up-and-coming directorial talent for many years–on a weekly basis in terms of our news coverage, in the context of our Directors Series/Special Reports which regularly contain a feature on new helmers, and in the scope of our weekly “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery–this is just the fourth year that SHOOT has held a formal event, its annual New Directors Showcase, to put the spotlight on deserving, emerging directors.
And strange as it sounds, there’s a sense of mini-tradition that’s developed over that relatively short span. I remember in year two we had Nelson Cabrera as a Showcase director. That was just a year after Cabrera, a veteran first a.d. on commercials, was in the audience, starting to do spec work which was just on the cusp of garnering recognition in industry circles–with the possibility that one of the ads was going to gain airtime. It did–and a year later he was in our New Directors Showcase. He’s now with HKM.
We’ve seen a fair percentage of directors in these four years go on to great success, including director Michael Downing of harvest having his Budweiser “Skydiver” spot appear on the Super Bowl last year and finish first in the USA Today poll.
And the career progression that has taken hold is evident in this year’s crop. A number of the directors chosen for this year couldn’t be with us at the New Directors Showcase event at the DGA Theater in New York last month because, happily, they had gotten spot assignments. An example being Shyam Madiraju of V3 at Anonymous Content who was working on a Fox Soccer Channel job.
Plus there have also been signings. On the strength of his spec work at Group101Spots, Brent Jones, who came to the SHOOT event, recently signed with Aero Film, Santa Monica. The team of Zack & J.C. was also on hand at the DGA Theater and I had the pleasure of announcing that they had just agreed to join @radical.media.
Furthermore, just a couple of weeks after our New Directors Showcase screening, panel discussion and reception, work directed by two of the Showcase helmers garnered three honors at the prestigious AICP Show.
Earning distinction in two AICP competition categories was the work of New Directors Showcase helmer Adam Goldstein of bicoastal/international RSA. The Goldstein-directed Freelance Union’s “Hospital” was honored in the spec spot category. Goldstein, who recently moved over from his creative director’s post at BBDO New York to pursue a full-time directorial career via RSA, also served as creative director on “Hospital.”
Additionally, Goldstein scored in the copywriting category for the New York Homeless Coalition’s “Scaffold” from BBDO New York. Goldstein directed and teamed with Lauren Cohen to write the commercial, which was screened as part of SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase reel.
Meanwhile honored in the AICP Show’s student commercial category was Mountain Dew’s “Foley” directed by the duo of Zack & J.C. (a.k.a. Zack Resnicoff and J.C. Khoury). “Foley” also was screened for the DGA Theater audience during the SHOOT proceedings.
For the SHOOT staff, the bottom line is simple. Indeed the most gratifying part of the Showcase for us is seeing careers born and then progress.
Director Hans Emanuel Joins Caviar For Commercials and Music Videos
Production company Caviar has signed director Hans Emanuel for U.S. commercial and music video representation. The film and advertising director fuses his keen--and Berlinale Film Festival Award-winning--eye for cinematic storytelling with a commercial background across multiple genres including beauty, automotive, dance, and visual effects-heavy projects, to produce creative for clients like Kia, Nivea, Nissan, L’Oreal, BMW and more.
Caviar executive producer Salim El Arja noted, “Hans has a unique ability to blend stunning visuals with heart and humor, rooted in his confidence as a craftsman. This allows him to focus on drawing exceptional performances from actors--including celebrities--and crafting films that are not only visually striking but also deeply engaging and often hilariously comedic. His sensibilities align perfectly with Caviar’s vision, and we’re excited to collaborate with him on work that pushes creative boundaries.”
Emanuel added, “Caviar is a renowned name, certainly since I began my career. They have a solid reputation for quality work, and I’ve always respected them as a company. Life is about where destiny makes you flow with the people you need; thanks to a series of projects, I was introduced to Florence Jacob with Caviar Paris first, and the rest is history. I feel they can support my career growth with their comedic expertise and filmmaking prowess.”
Prior to joining Caviar, Emanuel had been repped by production house Stadium. He was born and raised in Santa Monica, Calif., to a Mexican-German mother, benefiting from a culturally diversified upbringing that carried through his education interests. Knowing he wanted to be a filmmaker from the start, he began his career in the luxury and beauty field,... Read More